Evaluation of Experimental Studies in the U-Rich Region of the U-Pu Phase Diagram
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Abstract
Upon the re-examination of two experimental studies, additional thermophysical data pertaining to the uranium-rich portion of the uranium-plutonium binary phase diagram have been elucidated. The first study involved the analysis of solidification cooling curves following the processing of U-Pu alloys. Two phase transitions (liquidus and bcc) were evaluated and the results agreed very well with the established boundaries. The second study was actually performed over sixty years ago but still warrants recognition due to the paucity of thermodynamic data on the U-Pu system to date. From the investigation, the activity coefficients of plutonium in liquid uranium from 1813 K to 2042 K were derived assuming Henry’s law from which the partial molar excess Gibbs energy change of plutonium was obtained: \( \Delta \bar{G}^{\text{ex}} = R*T*\ln \gamma^{\text{o}}_{\text{Pu}} = - \;76694 + 39.2*T\left( {{\text{J}}/{\text{mol}}} \right). \)
Notes
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the Fuel Conditioning Facility personnel for operation of the casting furnace and the Analytical Laboratory staff for chemical services. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology, under DOE-NE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE‑AC07‑05ID14517.
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